Shoe-heel



(No Model.)

J. HOWLAND.

SHOE HEEL. 7 No. 314,130. Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

ATENT @rrrcs.

JOSHUA uowLAnn, o r uuion SPRINGS, NEW roan.

SHOE-HEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of'Letters Patent No. 314,130, dated March17, 1885.

Appicatinn filed September 18, 188i. (X0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josrma HOWLAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Union Springs, in the county of Cayuga and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Shoe-Heels;and I do declare the following to be a full. clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form apartof this specification.

My invention relates to boots and shoes, and has for its object toprovide a heel case or support so constructed that the heel may bechanged by reversion or inversion to secure the even wear thereof, andby which thelu ight of the heel may be regulated or adjusted.

To these ends and others which will be de scribed the invention consistsin certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will behercinafterspc cified and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is aside view of a portion of a shoe providedwith my improvements. Fig.2 is aperspective view ofthe upper side of theheel-case. Fig. 3 is abottom view. Fig. 4 is a transverse section ofsame with the heel in place. Fig. 5 is a detail front view of theheel-case.

The case A is made in the contour of aheel having the rear curvedportion and the forward straight portion, and its sides and rear curvedportions are preferably tapered downward, as shown. The upper side ofthe case is conformed to the heel part of the sole of the. shoe,preferably by making it dished or slightly concaved, so as to properlyfit the common form of the under side ofthe heel portion of the sole,against which it is fitted and secured in the manner presentlydescribed. The lower side of the heel-case is inclined or sloped upwardat its rear edge to reduce the liability of said edge coming in contactwith the ground when the heel has been slightly worn off. In theunderside of the case, I'form a round mortise, B, the walls of which aretapered upward and outward, forming the mortise in the shape of aninverted truncated cone. A narrow annular ledge, b, is preferablyprojected horizontally into the mortise especially C for the purpose ofincreasing the breadth of bearing against the sole of the shoe withoutmaterially. adding to the weight of the heelcase. I extend thishorizontal ledge at the rear of the mortise thereinto to form the lug orlugs O, perforated at O, to permit the passage of the retaining-screwswhich secure the rear side of the case'to the sole. The lugs G areprojected inward toward the center of the round mortise B, so as tobring the openings 0 well under the sole of shoe or boot, so that thefastening'nails may be driven through and be easily clinched orotherwise fastened by the purchaser. These lugs also serve to supportthe outer parts of the heel, where the greatest pressure is usuallyexerted. This is particularly necessary where heels of soft rubber areused. The distance intervening between the inner ends of thelugs and thefront side of the mortise B provides an open space which will permit ayielding upward of the rubber heel along its central longitudinal lineand of the front portion thereof. The portion under the broadlugs willbe compressed and rendered more solid and proof against wear. This sameresult will follow with thin leather heels.

The device is particularly serviceable in that under thelugs't. sitecorners of the case I form holes D D, through whichare passed the screwswhich secure the forward edge of the case to the sole.

Thus I conveniently secure the case to the shoe and so arrange thesecuring devices that they are not exposed to view or in danger ofcoming in contact with carpet and injuring same. The heel D is madecircular in cross section, and preferablyof indiarubber or othersuitable elastic material. It is fitted to be sprung into the mortise B,with its lower side extending below same to receive the tread on theground. By reason of the taper given the mortise it will beseen the heelwillbe held from displacement from the case,and yet may be convenientlyremoved or rotated for the purpose ofadjusting fresh surfac s into theposition to receive the wear. I prefer to form the mortise tapering, butit will be understood, where desired, its walls might be made paralleland the heel secured therein by screws,

class of foot-wear usedby miners and others, where the wear is greateston those portions Through the forward oppo- ICO nails, or othereXpedients driven through the side of the case into the heel.

In use when one edge of one end of the heel becomes worn the heel may beremoved and partially rotated to bring a fresh surface into the wearingposition, or the heel may be so rotated at short intervals that the wearmay be even on all portions and not excessive on any particular one. Theheel may be kept of the desired height by inserting filling-piecesbetween its upper end and the ledge 12 on the sole of the shoe.Furthermore, when the entire edge of one end of the heel is worn round,leaving a central projection, the heel may be turned end for end,bringing a fresh surface into play. Thus one heel may be worn muchlonger than the usual fixed variety because of lhe number ofwearing-surfaces which may be consecutively utilized.

My case is simple and may be easily applied to the shoe or boot, andbeing subjected to no wearing action is practically unlimited as to timeof service, and may be taken from boots or shoes when such articles areworn out and be applied to new ones, as will be understood. It will beseen that the heel-case is so formed ihat the rear part of the heel ismore firmly compressed against upward pressure than the front part, thelatter part being open so that the front edge of the heel may yieldfreely upward. By this construction the front part of the heel issubjected to but slight pressure in use and consequently but little wearis had thereon, so that when the heel is reversed the part at the rearis substantially un worn and will give results equal to a new heel.

The

openings 0 and D being arranged so as to fall well under theshoe, thedevice can be easily attached by any ordinary person after he hasremoved the original heel which had been nailed to the sole. The innerends of the nails pass through the insole far enough away from the upperso that they can be readily clinched. I am aware that it is not new tohave the heel of a shoe supported in a round mortise so that it may berotated, nor to haveaheel supported in a mortise in a casing having itswalls ta pered. I do not claim such construction, broadly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

The combination of the boot or shoe, the metallic heel-ease having itsupper side conformed to the bottom of the heel part of the shoe,provided in its under side with a round mortise to receive the heelhavinglugs 0, provided with openings 0, and projected from oppositesides inward over the upper or inner end of the rear part of theheel-mortise, and having nail-openings D in its opposite forward cornersoutside of the heel-mortise, and the heel fitted into the circularmortise in the hecl-case, all substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSHUA HOWLAND.

\Vitncsses:

JULIUs LUTZ, J OHN FOLEY.

